P.E.R.S.I.A.N Chart for Persia(Middle East during the Classical Period
Political:
v Ruled by an Absolute Monarchy
v Most popular dynasty: Achaemenid Dynasty
v Darius and Cyrus are some of the more notable rulers
v New conquered lands organized and controlled like split states called Satraps
v Very tolerant to forgein customs

King Darius.jpg

King Darius is depicted in the center in this Persian Mosaic

persian court.jpg

Persian Court

Economic:
v Standard Coinage
v Newly Dug Canal through the Red Sea/Nile which lead to ease of trade with Egypt
v Royal Road-1700 miles long road throughout the empire facilitated communication trade and travel.
v Postal Stations sped up travel time
v Underground irrigation systems allowed for excellent agriculture in the region

royal road.jpg

Remnants of the Royal Road. Notice the typical Muslim Arch

persian coins.jpg

Persian coin depicting Darius

Religion:
v Main religion: Zoroastrianism
v Supported by the Achaemenid Dynasty
v Zoroastrianism renounced polytheism and switched to monotheism
v Belief in Ahura Mazda(Source of all truth light….)
v Ahura Mazda in constant struggle between cosmic evil
v Concepts of free will to humans and to choose goodness or evil

zoroastrianism symbol.jpg

Zoroastrianist Symbol. Left wing=Good deeds Zoroastor=Good ThoughtsRight wing= good words

zorastrianism temple.jpg

Small Zoroastrianist temple

zoroastrianism fire chamber.jpg

Venerating fire in a Zoroastrianist fire chamber

Social:
v Pastoralists not reprimanded.
v Father ruled over everybody in family
v Treated children like slaves
v Polygamy was encouraged because the sons were the heirs; so more children more heirs
v Clans made up of familes
v Achaemenid is a part of the Pasargadae clan
v Classes included Priests, Craftsmen, military, slaves

persian ice storage rubbage.jpg

Persian "Refrigerator". Theorized to contain ice but was mostly used as a rubbish container

persian citadel.jpg

Persian Citadel

Intellectual:
v Darius introduced first written Persian language influenced by Aramaic.
v Hanging Garden of Babylon- mark of great architectural achievements
v Declaration of Human RIghs(Cyrus Charter of Human Rights)
v Weights Money Measurements all standardized throughout nation
v Algebra and Geometry with help of Greeks were greatly advanced(irrational #)
v Astronomy and medicine improved

persian astronomy.jpg

Notes considering the moons geometry with the sun and earth

persian math.jpg

Persian and Arabic Numbers

Arts:
v Geometric patterns on bowls mugs and tapestries and most art
v Paintings contained animals nature and geometry
v Caligraphy combined with mosaic works of art
v Mosaics were pioneered by Persians
v Lion/Bull sculptures. Xerxes Gateway
v Goblets of metal: Bronze
v Ceramic bowls with geometric paintings
v Persian carpets can trace their roots to this time

hanging gardens of babylon.jpg

Hanging Garden of Babylon

persian mosaics.jpg

Amazing Persian mosaic artwork

mosque in iran.jpg

Architecture, Art and Mathematics combine in this mosque in Iran

Near-Geographical
v Touches the Mediterranean, Black Sea, Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, and Caspian Sea.
v Touches India, Arabian Desert, North Africa, Caucus Region
v Greek and Macedonia. Enormous empire throughout Arabia

persian empire.jpg

Detailed Persian Empire Map

Persian Chart for Persia by Daniel Flores Pd.5


Europe
Political- Romans

• Roman Leaders were Augustus, Tiberius, Calique, Claudius and many more.
• Rome was a city state ruled by kings
• The King had the title of supreme military and religious authority
• They had a very clean cut Government that was broken down from the people of Rome when they gained their freedom from the Etruscan's and got to become a republic
• Once the Romans gained their freedom, they started a republic, where citizens of Rome elected representatives to rule or take charge
• The Republic turned into an empire and government and religion were reemphasized with the emperor Augustus

• The Twelve Tables was a set of Rome’s most important laws in 449 BCE.
• 

Political- Greece

• Alexander the Great ruled over the Greeks in Greece in 334BCE.
• Alexander ruled over the army which had 35,000 men
• He successfully defeated 40,000 Persians. Alexander wanted to spread the Greek civilization to the ends of the earth, and to rule over the largest empire ever
• Democracy started in Athens
• Democratic thinker like Cleisthenes, Solon, and Ephiatles contributed to the Athenian form of democracy
• No one could create a democracy like them Athens no matter how hard they tried
• Around 509 BCE, the Romans gained their freedom from the Etruscans
• Once the Romans gained their freedom, they started a republic (like the Romans)
• They decided the laws that were to be carried out in the Empire.

Economic- Romans

• There was many Roman trade routes on land and over seas
• Legions would carry goods to be traded along land routes. Goods that were much larger, like metals, lumber, and building supplies, were traded along sea routes
• The economy was mostly agricultural, it became highly urbanized. Once the economy started to become more urbanized, the rural economy in Rome declined
• Aristocracy, or wealthy class was mostly a cause in the change of the economy
• Coins in Rome were made of bronze, copper, silver, and gold
• Rome had one of the world’s most developed coin systems
• Coins were used as propaganda

Economic- Greeks

• Silver coins were manufactured throughout classical Greece.
• In Northern Greece, there were rich silver deposits, which ssier coins were made from and exported to Persia.
• Coins had the head of a ruler on them
• Greek city state traded with each other.
• The Greeks traded olive oil, crafts, and manufactured goods.
• The economy in Greece was mostly based on agriculture.
• Greeks depended on slaves to tend to the lands

Religion- Greeks

• The Greeks used Gods to explain the universe
• Zeus was one of the most popular of the gods
• Other gods include Athena, Percius, Hermes, Aphrodite, and Poseidon were also well known
• Religious rituals in Greece included the pouring of libations and the sacrifice of animals
• After the sacrifice the priests would go over religious ceremonies and prayers

Religion- Romans

• The Romans used the gods to explain the universe
• The main three gods were Juno, the protector of women, Jupiter, the protector of the state, and Minerva, the goddess of wisdom
• Two other gods that were important to Roman religion were Mars, the god of war, and Mercury, the god of trade
• Julius Caesar was worshipped as a god
• Towards the end of the Roman Empire, Christianity became the dominant religion.
• The Catholic Church was the Church of Rome. The head of this church was the Pope. The Pope acted as head of Church and State.

Society- Greeks

• A man was the most dominant person
• Men were able to vote, own property, and hold public office.
• The social class in Greece was made up of three groups.
• The aristoi or the “Best people.” This class was the wealthy class.
• The middle class, or business class. They engaged in trade and manufacturing.
• The poorer citizen class. They did not own a lot of property. However, they still owned some.
• Women were seen below men
• They could not vote, own land, or inherit from their father
• The women’s place was in the home, and they could not have contact with a male who wasn’t family
• Women’s husbands were chosen by their father.

Society – Romans

• The men were the dominant people
• The classes included ( from lowest to highest) : the slave group, the plebeians, the equestrians, and the patricians.
• The social status of a woman were determined by the social status of her father
• Women were not considered important to men
• Punishments for breaking a law were more brutal for women than men
• women were expected to work in the home.
• 
  

Intellectual- Greeks

• Plato was a student of Socrates.
• He is known for his philosophical views
• One of his best known ideas is the Theory of Ideas which states that we cannot have notions about beauty, justice, or virtue without knowledge of these things from an earlier time
• Aristotle was a student of Plato. He was the first person to develop the idea of logic. Aristotle presented many mathematical and scientific ideas that were accepted until modern era.
• Greek literature developed out of storytelling
• The theater was also a way for the Greeks to tell their stories
• Plays were used to bring honor to the gods and goddesses as well
• Plays were separated into comedies and tragedies.

Intellectual- Roman

• Roman literature was written in Latin
• Latin works of literature were influenced by the Greeks and their literature
• Roman literature included many authors and poets
• The most important include Seneca the Young, Vergil the poet, Lucan the epic poet, and Horace the lyric poet and satirist.
• The math of Roman numerals were created
• Romans mostly used an abacus, which came from Babylonian and Greek culture since Roman numerals are very complicated

Arts and Architecture - Greeks

• Music (Greece) – Music was an incredibly important part of Greek society
• Music was played at religious festivals, weddings and funerals, and banquets.
• The Odeion, a enclosed concert building in Athens, is an example of the importance of music to Greek culture.

Arts and Architecture - Romans

• Roman architecture usually followed the Greek style of architecture like the Doric, Ionic, Corinthian style
• The Romans, however, did create their own form of the Corinthian style column where the top was much more elaborate
• Roman buildings in the classical style include: The Pantheon (125 CE) The Colosseum (1st century CE)
• The music in Rome was based off the Greek style of music
• Roman music was used in religious festivals, gladiator fighting events, and major public events
• Although music was important to Roman culture, they did not create any innovations in writing music.

Near Geography- Greeks

• Classical Greece was located in Europe on what is now known as the Balkan Peninsula.
• Greece has a very mountainous terrain. This terrain made fertile soil very limited, which gave way for the prominence of trade among the Greek city states.
• The three main regions of classical Greece were Northern Greece, Central Greece, and the Peloponnese.

Near Geography- Romans

• Classical Rome was located in Europe on the Italian Peninsula
• Origins- The city of Rome began in central Italy, but the empire reached over the Mediterranean basin and most of Western Europe.
• Terrain of Rome – Rome was very mountainous and hilly.

Sources:

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/roru/hd_roru.htm

http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/People/Main_Page/

http://www.mariamilani.com/ancient_rome/Ancient_Roman_Government.htm

https://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Athenian_democracy.html

http://greece.mrdonn.org/athensdemocracy.html

http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/gods.html

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/ancient_rome_and_religion.htm

http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/women.html

http://www.mariamilani.com/ancient_rome/rome_social_structure_class.htm

http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/order.html

http://www.storyofmathematics.com/roman.html

http://www.ancient-literature.com/rome.html

Veronica Bailey Period 5

East Asia

Political-

• China, a huge imperial state was in the making during the classical period.
• China was restoring the old after the state was in shambles in 500 BCE.
• QIn Shihuangdi was a ruler during this time in 10 years he defeated the warring states and unified China.
• He also set up the first legal system in China.
• A political philosophy called legalism emerged, it advocated clear rules and harsh punishments.
• Scholars opposing Shihuangdi were executed and their books burned.
• Qin dynasty collapsed in 206 BCE.
• The Han dynasty followed (206 BCE-220 CE)
• Han dynasty rulers ruled with Confucianism in the place of Legalism.
• Emperor Wudi established an imperial academy for training officials, it was the beginning of a civil service system.
• Peasant revolts caused the fall of that dynasty.
• The fall of the Han dynasty gave way to invading nomadic peoples.

QIn Shihuangdi

Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty

Economic-

• Shihuangdi imposed a uniform system of weights, measures, and currency. The currency was a uniform copper coin.
• Land owning families with huge estates and political clout were enabled to avoid paying taxes.
• Free peasants were turned into impoverished tenant farmers.

Qin Currency

Religion-

• Confucius was alive during this time (551-479 BCE)
• After Confucius' death his students collected his teachings in a short book called Analects and a body of thought known as Confucianism began.
• Confucianism was more of a rule book about how to live in Classical China than, an actual religion.
• Daoism was also taking shape at this time.
• Daoism is associated with the legendary figure Laozi, who according to tradition was a sixth century BCE archivist.
• Daoism was mainly focused on nature and "the way" although many of the concepts of Daoism were very different from Confucianism they still existed in harmony, because Confucianism gave the people rules while Daism gave them a more spiritual view on life.

Confucius

Society-

• Confucian view was that society consisted of unequal relations: father was superior to son; the husband to the wife; the older brother to the younger brother; and of course the ruler to the subject.
• Ancestor veneration and filial piety were a big part of Chinese life.
• Ruler were to be just and husbands kind to there wives and children.
• Daoism also viewed family life as central to Chinese society, though the element of male/female hierarchy was downplayed in favor of complementarity and balance between the sexes.
• Officials were the elites in Classical China.
• Land owning families were the most wealthy of the people.
• The vast majority of the population were peasants though.
• Merchants were not favored, they were in fact lower than peasants.
• Gender roles fell with the fall of the Han dynasty.

Image of Filial Piety

Ancestor veneration

Innovations, Intellectual, Inventions-

• Confucianism called for higher education.
• Ban Zhao, a woman philosopher, thought that girls should be educated as well as boys, though not because they were equal to boys but because they needed to be prepared to serve their husbands.
• Boys were educated to more effectively control their wives.
• Civil service examinations were also put into place during this time.
• Confucius, Laozi, and Zhuangzi were all intellectuals at this time.
• Ban Zhao was also an innovative thinker of the time.
• By 100 BC Chinese shipbuilders invented the astern post rudder and water tight compartments for ship's hulls.
• In 200 BC the Chinese discovered what later became gunpowder.
• Steel was perfected by the 400's BC.

Zhuangzi

Laozi, depicted as Daode Tianzun

Ban Zhao

Art/Architecture-

• 221 BC was when the great wall of China began being built to keep out Mongol invaders, it is one of the 7 wonders of the World.
• There were Han instruments such as the Zhong (chime bells) and Di (flute).
• Paintings of the Han dynasty are of precise simple lines, expressing imaginative themes.
• Silk was also being greatly used in China at this time.

Han Dynasty paintings

Great Wall of China

Statues placed in emperors tombs

Neat Geography-

• Qin ruled over the a great amount of land as he was the one who united China after years of Chaos.
• But the Han dynasty expanded this land even more.
• As for movement of people, there was movement of nomadic peoples into China throughout this time.

citations:

Ways of the World by Robert W. Strayer

Carla Viesca

SOUTH ASIA
*Political*
-This civilization emerged as a fragmented collection of town and cities, some small republics governed by assemblies, and a number of regional states rules by kings.
-Northwestern India was briefly ruled by the Persian Empire and later Alexander the Great. These influences helped create India’s first large-scale political system, the Mauryan Empire (326-184BCE). It boasted a large military force.
-The Arthasharta was a political policy for Mauryan rulers. It showed how the political system works, showing how kings must sometimes be brutal to maintain peace.
-Ashoka: He left a record of his beliefs all around India. He was an enlightment ruler, but these policies faded as the empire fell after his death.
-The Gupta Empire followed (320-550BCE). It was known for its peace and prosperity.

The Mauryan Empire

Gupta Empire

*Economic*
-Indian trade with China thrived.
-Indian trade reached as far as the Roman world.
-A frequently vibrantly economy fostered a lively internal commerce, making India the focal point of the extensive trade network in the Indian Ocean basin.
-Its cotton textile industry supplied cloth throughout the Afro-Eurasian world.

Indian Textile Patterns

Indian Rug

Textile showing nature and human patterns

*Religion*
Hinduism
-Vedas: collection of poems, hymns, prayers, and rituals compiled from Brahmins (priests). They were traditionally passed down orally, but were later written down in Sanskrit. It told stories about Indian ancestors and caste duties among other aspects of India life.
-Upanishads- composed by anonymous thinkers between 800-400 BCE. This text sought to find meaning to life and rituals like sacrifices. It also told about the ideas of Brahman, the World Soul, the final and ultimate reality.
-The Hindus’ goal was to unite one’s soul with Brahman, They believed in reincarnation (The caste you are born to depends on your behavior in your previous life) and the caste system.
-moksha: liberation
-Women were inferior to men and were excluded from most religious rituals.
Buddhism
-Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) was the founder of Buddhism. He was a prince who lived a pleasant life, but was shocked when he encountered people suffering, so he left his family to meditate. After six years, he reached enlightment, or nirvana. He figured out the reason for suffering and how to stop it.
-Most of the Buddha’s traditions involved Hindu aspects. It was a simplified and more accessible version of Hinduism.
-Buddhism teachings stated that everyone was equal, attracting low-caste Hindus and women to this religion. Buddhism also believes in a single deity.

Hindu gods and godesses

Hinduism symbol

Buddhism symbol

*Society*
-Society was divided into four ranked classes, or varnas. Everyone was born into and remained in one of these varnas for life.
-Brahmins: priests whose rituals made the world function properly.
-Kshatriya: warriors and rulers who protected and governed society.
-Vaisya: Business class of merchants.
-Sudras: peasant farmers.
-The classes were made from Purusha’s body (A Hindu god) and therefore were eternal and changeless. Later, a new caste was added: The Untouchables.
-Untouchables: did the work that everyone else considered mot unclean.
-Women were inferior to men.
*Innovation*
-Wealthy merchants supported lavishing temples, public buildings, and religious festivals
-Indian mathematics and science, especially astronomy were very impressive.
-Indian scientist plotted the movement of stars and planets. They also recognized quite early that the earth was round.
-Some important writings were the Kamasutra- a book about sexual interactions between men and women-, the Mahabharta, and the Ramayana, which were both about the detached performances of caste duties leading to liberation.
*Art*
-Wealthy artisans provided leadership to build artistic and architecturally intricate temples and religious festivals.
-Great creativity in religious matters generated Hindu and Buddhist traditions that later penetrated much of Asia.
*Near Geographic*
-Ideas and supplies didn’t move easily in India due to terrain and also cultural differences.
-The Himalayas were also a geographical barrier that made people, goods, and ideas to get to China, but regardless, Buddhism was able to make its way through the mountains and into China, bringing Hindu culture along with it.
-The fact that India is a peninsula with warm climate and many rivers helped agriculture thrive as well as fishing, but floods and monsoons were at times obstacles.